The present invention relates to a substrate holder and in particular to a substrate holder for holding a substrate by means of a vacuum, as well as to an apparatus and a method for the treatment, in particular a thermal treatment of substrates, in particular semiconductor substrates.
In the art different apparatuses for the thermal treatment of substrates are known, as well as different devices for holding the substrate in a process chamber of an apparatus for thermal treatment of the substrate.
A known apparatus for the thermal treatment of semiconductor wavers, for example provides for heating the waver by means of electromagnetic radiation, which is emitted by lamps, for example tungsten halogen lamps.
Such apparatuses are typically called RTF-units (RTP=rapid thermal processing) or rapid healing units, as they allow rapid changes in temperature. Typically a waver receptacle is provided in the process chamber of the rapid heating unit, on which the waver is supported during the thermal treatment. Supports are known, which are in substance transparent, to the electromagnetic radiation of the lamps as well as supports, which are opaque to the electromagnetic radiation of the lamps. The first mentioned supports are supposed to allow direct heating of the waver by means of the electromagnetic radiation of the temps. The latter supports however are provided to allow heating of the support by means of the electromagnetic radiation of the lamps and thus only indirectly heating the wavers by means of heating the support. In both types of support, the waver typically freely rests on the support and it is not possible to apply a force to the waver.